


First, Warmth

by glim



Category: Grantchester (TV)
Genre: Common Cold, Cuddling & Snuggling, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 10:36:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7681054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glim/pseuds/glim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"Not that I'm complaining, but are you always this warm?"</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	First, Warmth

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [Detective & Mystery Fandom hurt/comfort meme](http://clockfraught.livejournal.com/3308.html) and the prompt, Geordie to Sidney: "Not that I'm complaining, but are you always this warm?"

Sidney drops down onto the sofa in a heavy, tired slump and closes his eyes. His head hurts, his throat hurts, and the rest of his body feels overwhelmed with lack of sleep. He doesn't really want to think about how he's probably coming down with whatever it is he's been fighting off for the past two days, and he definitely doesn't want to think about how long it's been since he's had more than a few hours of sleep. 

Here, though, with his eyes closed, it's easier to focus on other things: the warmth of Geordie's house compared to the damp chill outside, the low, comfortable hush of Cathy and Geordie talking in the kitchen, the quiet clatter of tea cups and spoons. 

He doesn't really want to fall asleep, either, not just yet, not when he hasn't had a chance to appreciate the warmth and hush. He must've dozed off, though, because the next thing Sidney's aware of is a pile of blankets and pillows next to him, and Cathy's hand on his shoulder, nudging him awake. 

"At least take off your shoes and have a cup of tea before you fall asleep properly," Cathy says. 

Sidney blinks at her, clears his throat to talk, and reaches up to rub his face. When he blinks again, she rubs his shoulder. 

"Geordie?" Cathy looks over her shoulder. "Geordie, make sure he has the tea and doesn't sleep in his shoes and collar." 

"I won't," Sidney manages in a croaky, already tired sounding voice. 

"He won't," Geordie says, "I'll look after him." 

Sidney makes a sound of protest that quickly turns into a cough, and that seems to make Cathy's hand tighten on his shoulder as she and Geordie say good night. 

"Get some sleep," she finally says to him and squeezes his shoulder. "You, come upstairs soon," she says to Geordie and kisses him good night a few times after he walks her to the staircase. 

Instead of getting ready for bed, though, Sidney droops back onto the sofa cushions, rubs his face again, and only shrugs when Geordie sits down next to him and asks if he wants his tea. 

"I'll take that as a yes, but let's get you... well, I want to say comfortable, but I can't see how any of that is comfortable." 

"It's not any worse than what you wear to work."

"Right, sure." Geordie's already pulled off his jacket and tie, and rolled up his sleeves. He pats Sidney on the knee, then gives him a shove to help him out of his jacket, then his waistcoat. 

When Sidney fumbles with his collar, he helps him with that, too, and his fingers work quickly and almost gently. He makes a quiet, low sound in his throat when Sidney shivers and coughs, and even rubs his neck a bit after he's taken off the collar. 

"Tea, then sleep. Though you look about ready to drop off. Again." 

Sidney rubs both hands over his face this time to try and wake himself up, though the only effect is to make him want to keep rubbing his face. "Aren't you tired?"

 

"Exceedingly. But I think I managed a few more hours last night than you, what with actually getting into bed at a decent time." Geordie offers Sidney a cup of tea and a rather knowing look.

Sidney sighs at Geordie and wraps his hands around the teacup to fend off another shiver. When Geordie's settled in next to him with his own cup, Sidney lets himself sit back again, half against the sofa, half against Geordie. 

Whatever new and tentative thing exists between them nowadays makes it easy for Sidney to do this, to make a hoarse, tired sound and let his head fall against Geordie's shoulder. Geordie gives him a sound of approval this time, and even, after a few minutes, brushes his lips against Sidney's forehead. 

That's new. And rather pleasant. Safe and reassuring. Sidney drinks his tea and watches Geordie drink his tea, and rests his head against Geordie's shoulder again when he can feel exhaustion tugging at his senses. Warm and sleepy and safe. 

Geordie shifts on the sofa, enough to rouse Sidney from the doze. "Not that I'm complaining, but are you always this warm?"

"Yes? I don't know," he mumbles, and turns to rub his face into Geordie's shoulder. "No?"

"No. I'm getting you some aspirin."

"You don't need to..." 

"You'll be up all night with the chills if you don't take something. C'mon." He strokes Sidney's hair until he finally lets Geordie up off the sofa, then smoothes Sidney's hair back and presses a hand to his forehead. "You want me to check your temperature?"

Sidney shakes his head. "Just get the aspirin," he sighs. 

And Geordie does that. Aspirin, and a glass of water, and he stands watching Sidney until he swallows down the tablets and finishes the glass of water. He pours him another cup of tea after that, but sits back down and pulls Sidney in against him as he drinks the fresh, hot tea. 

"There," Geordie murmurs. "You'll sleep better." 

The tea helps with the rough throat and the shivery feeling, and Sidney's sure Geordie's right about the aspirin, but it's not just those things, not just hot drinks and medicine. It's the way Geordie slides his arm around Sidney's shoulders, tightly enough that Sidney can't help but let himself be pulled into the curve of Geordie's side and let himself settle in right against him. It's the way Geordie lets his voice go low and deep when he talks to Sidney, how he lets his own exhaustion seep through his words and how he lets himself relax, stay warm and close on the sofa. 

He kisses Sidney on the forehead, once, as if checking for fever, then again and he lets that touch linger. Sidney gives a sigh, half-overcome with sleep already, and presses his face into Geordie's neck. When he looks up, Geordie kisses him again and murmurs a good night to him. 

//

When Sidney wakes up, the living room is awash with the pale, grey light of an early autumn morning. Geordie's up, not yet dressed, and sitting in one of the living room chairs. 

"You're awake," he says, then smiles when Sidney blinks and coughs. "Sort of. Thought you might want breakfast before the girls take over the house." 

"Last night..." Sidney's voice trails off into quiet uncertainty. 

"You're still ill; worse today, by the sound of it." Geordie gets up off the chair and heads toward the kitchen. "You don't need to think about that now."

"I'm not," Sidney says, though he obviously is. His voice is rough and strained, and even with the fever down his senses feel blurred with congestion and headache. "Maybe a bit." 

Geordie gives a quiet laugh, looks at Sidney for a long moment, then turns away. "It doesn't have to be anything. Anything more than... What's already there." He pauses. "You can blame the fever, or lack of sleep, God knows neither of us have managed enough of that in days--"

"Geordie, no." Sidney pushes himself up against the pillows. "It doesn't have to be like that between us."

Geordie doesn't say anything this time, but Sidney can see his back tense, can see how he carries all his stress and worry in his shoulders. 

"I don't want it to be like that between us..." Sidney sighs when Geordie still doesn't reply, then coughs, and keeps coughing. "I want--" 

Between hoarse coughs, Sidney hears Geordie step across the room and feels his hand, war and heavy, rest at the center of his back. 

"Don't go getting yourself worked up about it," he murmurs. 

Sidney nods, and Geordie keeps on rubbing his back. Slow circles, and these quiet murmurs of reassurance, all through the coughing fit. When Sidney can breath evenly once more, Geordie sits down on the sofa next to him. He pats Sidney on the back and guides to st against the pillows.

"You sound awful."

"I know, sorry."

Geordie presses his hand to Sidney's forehead, then smoothes his hair back. "Don't need to apologize." He strokes Sidney's hair again, then the side of his face.

There's no convenient fever or lack of sleep to blame, and his cold certainly isn't bad enough to merit all the attention Geordie's giving it. But Sidney presses into the touch and smiles when Geordie kisses him on the forehead, and then rests his own forehead against Sidney's. 

"When you're feeling better..."

"I can wait until then," Sidney says. And he finds that yes, he can, he can wait for the tentative affection between them to become something more than that.


End file.
